PETALING JAYA: The Higher Education Ministry has released updated standard operating procedures (SOPs) for varsities.

       Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said only students, academic staff and non-academic staff who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 are allowed to enter campuses.

       A person is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving the second dose of either the Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccines; or 28 days after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson or CanSino vaccines.

       "This matter is subject to each institutions' capacity, by adhering to the SOPs.

       "This is a step towards ensuring the environment is safe and there is herd immunity on campus," she said on Tuesday (Sept 14).

       She said students who cannot be vaccinated due to health reasons must contact their respective higher education institution (IPT) for coordination.

       She said the ministry projects that 100% of IPT staff and students who are eligible to be vaccinated and are registered with mySejahtera will receive both doses of the vaccines by the end of October.

       Currently, 66% of students and 90% of IPT staff are fully vaccinated, she added.

       "Students' movement back to campuses are subject to two aspects – for IPTs in Peninsular Malaysia, only a permission letter to return to campuses from their IPTs are required, while IPTs in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan are subject to the SOPs enforced by the respective state governments.

       "Students must obtain permission letters to cross state/district from the police and must undergo a RT-PCR swab test," she added.